Machine tool construction



06h22, 1940- H. w. Fox Er m.

MACHINE TOOL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 A. y f

Ha WARD L7. EUR W/Mun .PI/RAM 'S/Fax Oct. 22, 1940.

H. w. Fox Er Ax.

MACHINE TOOL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm/WOM HUWARD D. EUR WIN, vg H11-1,4154 WF'c/x .www

Oct, 22, 1 940. H'

MACHINE TOOL CONSTRUCTION' Filed May 5, 1958 w. Fox Err AL. 2,218,984

HD WARD EUR WIA/ANU H/F'AM WFDX @M gzd/mwfc-y/ I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 22, 1940 I PATENT OFFICE 2,218,984 i [MACHINE TOOL CONSTRUCTION HiramlW. Fox and Howard 'D'. Corwin, Jackson, l Mich ApplicationMa'y 5, 1988, serial 1v1/5.298,58

1 Claim.

The present 'invention relates to improvements .in the 'construction of tools. n f n In the past `it has been the practice in the man'- 5` ufacture of machine tool heads and associated structure to use cast metal construction. This practice involves the expense of patterns, which must be changed With every change in shape and size of the fabricated parti Thefresult has' been that a great 'part 'of the expense .involved in building machine 'tools has been chargeable to pattern cost and storage. This has been particularly true with respect to the tool heads of multiple spindle drilling and tapping `machine tools, which are mostly custom built and purchased in relatively few numbers of any one design.

It is the object of the present invention tol eliminate or greatly reduce cast metal parts, together With the accompanying pattern cost, in the fabrication of tool heads and tool head skirts of machine tools. This has been accomplished through the use of standard rolled Sheets, bar stock and flat castings which permits great exibility in design and change of construction,

shape and size without being confronted with excessive pattern costs. Sheets and bars of standard gauge and shapes are conveniently stock-ed by the manufacturer from which the tool heads and head skirts may be fabricated, meeting customers varied specifications with substantial reduction in manufacture cost over prior practices.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine tool head embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the tool head shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan View` of' a box section used in the construction of the tool head,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View of the skirt column construction taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the head skirt shown in Fig. 2, and i Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 2 ofva xed center head embodying the principlesof construction of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the principles of the present invention are illustrated in connection with a multiplespindle drilling machine I0 having a column I2 carrying Ways I4 upon which the tool head IB is supported `for vertical movement in a well known manner. A skirt I8 furnishes support for the adjustable bracket 20 carrying the adjustable tool spindle 22. The bracket and `tool heads -'for vmachine tool spindle may be of conventional construction Afs more clearly shown ini Figs. 2, 3 and14, the head I6 is fabricatedfrom either sheet metal or hat cast iron-plates2f4, 26 and 28 spacedbysimilar frames 38 `fabricated from standard -rolled bar sections. In theillustrated form, a channel 5 section has been selected,vwhich is cut into side portions 32 With cha'mf'ered ends which are ,welded together at 38k toform a rigid box section. The spacing of theplates bythe frames 3D Adefines gear chestsili.vv lSuitabletie bolts 38 hold the parts assembled fand'. permit ready vdisassembly for repair and inspection. y

For clarity, only ther gear train and lshafting for a single tool spindle 22 has been illustrated. The usual spline drive shaft 4I) drives the gear 42, which in turn drives the kgears MI, 46, 48 and 50. The universal joints and shafting for driving the spindle 22 from the shaft 52 driven by the .gear 5i! isof Well known construction. The plates 24, 25 and 28 are suitably machined to re- 20 ceive the bearings for the gear shafting and to enable a shaft to extend from one gear chest to another, as in the case of the shaft 54 which extends through the opening 58 inthe plate 2,6.

Preferably, the skirt I8 is free from all structures associated with the driving of the spindles 22. To this end, the structure through whichA the shafts 52 extend takes vthe 'form of a plate 58 having as many openings 68' therein as there may be spindles 22. A box section 62, corresponding in construction to the box section of Fig. 3, spaces the plate 58 from the under side of the plate 28. Stud bolts'64 hold the parts in assembly. Sutable bushings 86 prevent the passage of oil, which drains into the oil pan dened by the plates 58, and a box section 62, from which the oil is discharged through a neck 68 into the reservoir I0 carried by the skirty I8.

The skirt I8, in accordance Awith the principles of construction of the present invention, is entirely fabricated from Welded plates and bars'. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the skirt I8, comprising upper and lower rolled sheet metal plates 'I2 and 14, has central openings 'I6 and 'I8 out therein. In practice, these openings may be cuteconomically through the use of a cutting torch. Spacing thev plates 'I8 and I8 are columns 88 cut from standard rolled bar stock. As shown in Fig. 4, a bar of T-section has been used. Many other standard sections lmay be used with equal satisfaction. The columns 88 are Welded at their tops and bottoms to the plates 'I2 and 14.

It should be readily apparentfrom the foregoing description that the size of the head I6 may bevshaped by cutting the plates 24, 26 and 28 smaller or larger and varying the length of the side portions 32 accordingly. With the same size plate, the depth of each gear chest 36 may be changed through the sections of a standard bar stock of desired width. Similar flexibility of construction is present in the fabrication of the skirt I8.

In Fig. 6, the principles of construction of the head I6 are shown applied to a fixed center head in which the spindles 82, of which only one is illustrated, are not adjustable. In this type of head there is no need for the skirt I8 of Fig. 2, as should be obvious. As in the head construction of Fig. 2, plates 84 spaced by box sections 86 of welded standard bar section define gear chests 88. The main driving shaft is splined in the driving gear (not shown) and moves with the head in a well known manner. The spindles 82 are driven through a gear train 92, 94,' 96 and 98. A bottom plate |00 and box section |02 of welded standard bar section dene an oil pan. The supporting bracket portion of the head illustrated takes the form of side plates |04, a back plate |06 and a bottom plate |08, al1-Welded together. Suitable bolts ||0 removably hold the above described parts in assembled relation. The same flexibility ofy design, permitting changes in size and shape, is present in the head construction of Fig. 6 to the same extent discussed with reference to the head I6 of Fig. 2.

The standard rolled sections from which the box section of Fig. 3 and the box section 86 of Fig. 6 are fabricated may take various forms. For example, an I-section could be used. The channel section has been preferred, however, as it gives a finished outside appearance when fabricated into a box section. It is also within the scope of the present invention to fabricate the box section 86, for example, from flat upright sections of rolled sheet stock. Such a box section, however, does not possess the rigidity of a box section built up from flanged bar sections.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: In an adjustable multipl-e spindle tool head, a head skirt comprising a pair of separately fabricated parallel iiat ring shaped plates located one above the other and oi graduated size, rolled bar sections of` angular cross-section providing stiffening ribs in two ldifferent directions spacing said plates in abutting relation With the lower surface ofthe upper plate and the upper surface of the lower plate, said bar sections being in-` clined and converging from the lower plate to the upper plate with their ends integrally connected to said plates, the central opening of said plates receiving the flexible connection members for driving the spindles, and means provided in the lower surface of the `larger of said plates for adjustably supporting the tool spindle brackets.

I-IIRAM W. FOX. HOWARD D. CORWIN. 

